Fat fish in Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands is a group of small islands, an archipelago belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark. The group consists of 18 islands located between Iceland and Scotland. The archipelago is so small, that you really need to look closer to spot them on the map.

Initially our visit to the Faroe Islands was intended only to be a short stopover on the way back to Denmark, but looking at the green mountains during the approach the airport quickly made me realize that it would not be as simple as what I had thought.

Landing in Faroe Islands

Landing at the former US base-turned-into-international airport is already an experience in and out of itself. Flying in-between the mountains covered in the clouds took my breath away, as did the green grass on the rooftops of colourful houses, blending perfectly with the surroundings. I could not wait to get off the plane, and start exploring the place!

We spent few days in the “smallest capital city of the world” as Torshavn is advertised to the tourists. Torshavn means the town of Thor, a Nordic god who has a face and a body of Aussie actor, Chris Hemsworth from the movie titled “Thor”, instead of a grey and wrinkled older gentlemen from the mythology books.

The town is located on one of the Southern islands, Streymoy, and it is a pretty little town, with a harbour and the Old Town filled with red houses and neatly cut grass on the roofs. The islands are beautiful, and avid hikers will find several places to fulfil their targets of adding extra mileage to their books. This is also a place for lovers of birds. The islands host several kinds of birds; some not met anywhere else in the world.

The Old Town in Torshavn

The archipelago, being located in the North Atlantic is a great location to have delicious local fish. One of my lovely best friends, who travels to Faroe Islands regularly, had praised a sushi restaurant where she eats regularly. As I am big fan of Japanese cuisine, I did not say no, and when the moment came to have a dinner, my energetic step brought me to the recommended restaurant.

The order was placed, and the food arrived fairly prompt. The sashimi from local fish was absolutely amazing. Salmon, halibut, tuna and all types of fish related to these are freshly caught in the sea or farmed nearby. We were amazed not only about the size of each piece, but about the taste, tenderness and fatness of the meat. It was melting with each bite, leaving the fullness of the fish on the tongue, and desperately leaving one wanting another bite.

In simple terms, I overate that evening.

I was impressed with the islands, the houses and the local fish. Unfortunately a couple of days are not long enough to experience the culture in full, and visit all the islands with lighthouses widely described in “places to see”. One needs at least a week to enjoy greenness of mountains and tastes the fatness of fish.